"Plank-it" Until You Make It!

Plank exercises are a popular element of isometric training, which involves contracting your muscles against stationary resistance. Isometric exercises are common for injury rehabilitation or reconditioning. Isometric exercises, such as planks, can help you get past strength-training plateaus and improve energy transference between your upper body and lower body. Plank exercises, in particular, benefit multiple elements of physical fitness and your general well-being.

Top 5 Benefits of doing Planks
1. Works your upper abs, your lower abs, your obliques, and your lower back.
2. Builds the stabilizer muscles.
3. Builds strength for pushups.
4. Promotes good posture and helps prevent back injuries.
5. Teaches your abs to stay contracted in a regular standing position.

How to Do a Plank
1. Get face down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees-- an easier variation to rest on hands and knees.
2. Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.
3. Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.
4. Keep your back flat. Picture your body as a long straight board, or plank.
5. Hold and aim for 20-30 seconds in the beginning and work your way up to one minute, as you get stronger.
6. Repeat three times.

Why shop at farmers markets?

Why shop at farmers markets? One good reason is the produce is locally grown. It’s also picked when ripe instead of being picked prematurely which allows it to reach it’s full potential in flavor and nutritional value. So if you think about your fruit in this way, it’s actually cheaper to buy at the farmers market because you don’t need to buy as much food to get your daily vittles! The other important reason to shop at the farmers’ market is because the food is in season. That’s right, believe it or not plants grow seasonally and most of our produce that is available year round should actually only be around for a few months of the year. Take asparagus for instance. This delicate vegetable should only be available in early spring but is found all year round in grocery stores. If you go to the farmers’ market you will never find asparagus there other than in spring and more importantly, you will never find asparagus as tasty and fresh as at these markets. All things considered, the advantages of shopping at the farmers’ market are numerous. The food is more nutritious, fresher and most importantly – you’ll never find tastier fruits and veggies. Here is a list of fruits and veggies that you’ll find at your local farmers’ market this fall;

Acorn Squash
Asian Pear
Barbados Cherries
Black Crowberries
Belgian Endive
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Butter Lettuce
Buttercup Squash
Butternut Squash
Cactus Pear
Cape Gooseberries
Cauliflower
Chayote Squash
Chinese Long Beans
Crab Apples
Cranberries
Date Plum
Delicata Squash
Diakon Radish
Endive
Garlic
Ginger
Grapes
Hearts of Palm
Huckleberries
Jalapeno Peppers
Jerusalem Artichoke
Key Limes
Kohlrabi
Kumquats
Muscadine Grapes
Mushrooms
Ong Choy Spinach
Passion Fruit
Pear
Persimmons
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Pumpkin
Quince
Radicchio
Sugar Apple
Sunflower Kernels
Sweet Dumpling Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Turnips

Orzo Confetti Salad

Orzo Confetti Salad

1 ½ cups whole wheat orzo pasta, or Israeli cous cous
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 carrots, peeled & grated
½ cucumber, grated
1 medium golden beet, stemmed and grated
Any other grating vegetable that works
2 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions
1. Cook orzo/Israeli cous cous in plenty of boiling water until tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain.
2. In a bowl, Whisk oil, lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper until blended.
3. Toss all of the ingredients together. Serve warm or cold.